{"id":1068,"date":"2011-07-16T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2011-07-16T00:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=1068"},"modified":"2022-04-07T17:46:14","modified_gmt":"2022-04-07T09:46:14","slug":"36-reflections-on-a-pilgrimage-to-turkey-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=1068","title":{"rendered":"36.Cappadocia \u2013 Natural Wonder and Human Perseverance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reflections on a Pauline Pilgrimage to Turkey [3]<\/span><\/p>\n

Utterly amazed, they asked: \u201cAren\u2019t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia<\/span>, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs\u2014we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues<\/strong>!<\/span>\u201d [Acts 2:7-11<\/span>]<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/a> Cappadocia chimneys<\/span><\/p>\n

Cappadocia is stunningly beautiful!<\/span><\/p>\n

Cappadocia (Turkish Kappadokya<\/em>), our guide repeatedly said, is not a town or a place, but an extensive mountainous region in central Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the trip, five activities were memorable.<\/span><\/p>\n

[1] Taking in the beauty of the rock-formations<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Cappadocia is Turkey\u2019s most \u201cvisually striking region\u201d, “unique in the world”, “where nature and history come together with the most beautiful scenery in the world”…, announce tourism articles, drawing tourists from every part of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Violent volcanic eruptions brought sedimentation of large quantities of ash layers in the whole area. As these ash layers took centuries to solidify, rivers and brooks, wind and rains, gouged grooves in them and eroded the top level in different shapes and depth. Over time, the elements formed caves, clefts, \u201cfairy chimneys\u201d, \u201cmushroom rocks\u201d and sensuous folds in the soft volcanic rock. The \u201cmoonscape\u201d in the region has been likened by some to \u201ca poem\u201d and \u201ca picture drawn on the earth by nature\u201d. It is the most unique natural environment in Turkey which earned the UNESCO World Heritage<\/a> site listing since 1985. It is a tourist-must-see destination.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the landscape is magical and takes one\u2019s breath away, there is altogether another world beneath the surface, where churches, cathedrals, homes and storage facilities were hewn out. The region was a refuge for the first Christians of Asia Minor. More recently, between the 7th and 13th centuries, the area was a safe-haven for the Christians under the threat of Muslim Arab raids. There are hundreds of churches and famous places with large numbers of early Christian settlements and churches in this area. Our itinerary accommodated tours to the G\u00f6reme sites and the Derinkuyu underground city.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Visiting an underground city<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The location of Cappadocia made it an extremely critical and strategic region. Coupled with its trade and resources, it was a perennial tempting prize to outside powers. To protect themselves from endless invasions, the local inhabitants became troglodytes \u2013 cave dwellers who expertly devised for themselves a place of habitation complete with a clever system of protection and survival. For example, they concealed and blocked the entrances to their caverns and grottos so as to keep the enemies out. They made their cave dwellings interconnected so a community life could be had even as they stayed underground. And, to survive for extended periods of time, these troglodytic dwellings developed into subterranean cities that included sources of water, places to store food, wineries, and places of worship and, very importantly, complete with a good system of ventilation. Some of them date back to before the Christian era.<\/span><\/p>\n

The underground city of Derinkuyu<\/a> was the hiding place for the first Christians who were escaping from the persecution of the Roman empire<\/a>. Some items discovered in these underground settlements date back to the Middle Byzantine Period, between the 5th and the 10th centuries A.D. The number of underground settlements, generally used for taking refuge and for religious purposes, increased during this era on account of the threats of Arab-Muslim raids.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is quite an experience to note the ingenuity and the spirit of perseverance<\/em> of the early Christians. The captivation of Cappadocia lingers on whenever we recall how and where the early Christians hid in times of trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

Cappadocia Kaymakli and Derinkuyu Underground Cities.<\/p>\n

[3] Visiting rock churches and religious settlements<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The G\u00f6reme Open Air Museum features over ten cave churches dating back to the 10th<\/sup> and 11th<\/sup> centuries, a<\/strong>long with rectories, dwellings, and a religious school. They form a large monastic complex carved out of rock formation in an incredible landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each church has a modern Turkish name, given by local villagers based on visual identification of certain features, such as an Apple Church, a Snake Church, a Dark Church, a Church with a Shield, a Buckle Church, a Sandal Church and so on. A remarkable rock-carved convent displays six stories of tunnels, corridors, stairways and chambers, and could easily have housed as many as 300 nuns at any one time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byzantine murals<\/strong> dating from 900-1200 AD are still found in these churches, most of which are in surprisingly good conditions. We saw all the painted figures had their eyes gouged out, probably on account of local superstitious fear of the Evil Eye. The Dark Church, whose walls were long protected by pigeon droppings, has alone escaped this criminal damage. Another recurring feature is St. George<\/strong> slaying the dragon, an event which the locals insist happened on the summit of a nearby mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

[L] Following the counterclockwise route around the G\u00f6reme Open Air Museum. [M]<\/span>\u00a0Resurrection of Lazarus in the Apple Church. [R]\u00a0<\/span>Nativity of Christ in the Dark Church \u00a9 Dick Osseman.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

[L] Interior of the large Buckle Church. [M]\u00a0Crucifixion of Christ in the Dark Church. [R]\u00a0Christ Pantocrator in the Dark Church \u00a9 Dick Osseman.<\/p>\n

[4] Taking an early morning hot-air balloon ride<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> A toast of champagne back on firm ground. Photo \u00a9 Teresa Sim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who took the hot-air balloon ride got up for an early morning pickup, had an exhilarating experience apparently, even if the ride at US$220 per person represented a 120% hike compared to just two years ago. They certainly worked up a good appetite that was visibly apparent when they returned to the hotel for breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

[5] Celebrating Mass at a cave-church<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When we got to a simple, little, open, bare, millennium-old cave church to celebrate Mass all by ourselves, away from the hustle and bustle of heavy tourist-traffic [with gratitude to Mr. Tuna, our guide, who sourced for this locale from a fellow local guide], it was such a delightfully blessed time to pause and reflect on the faith of the people more than a millennium ago. In great simplicity, they persevered and celebrated their faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many things cruised through our minds.<\/span><\/p>\n